Ministers 'absolutely optimistic' of Brexit border deal

7 December 2017 | By Purvai Dua

Source: @Photoshot

After EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said British government must agree deal by Friday

Just hours after EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told member states that the British government has 48 hours to agree a text on a potential deal or it will be told that negotiations will not move on to the next stage, reports suggest that the government is “optimistic” for an Irish border agreement.

This comes amid reports that Prime Minister Theresa May is under increasing pressure to break the impasse in the Brexit talks.

Barnier informed EU ambassadors that Downing Street had told him a potential solution was being worked out that could possibly satisfy both Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist (DUP) party and the Republic of Ireland, but that it had yet to be signed off by any of those involved.

According to DUP, there is “work to be done” if it is to agree to plans for the future of the border with Ireland.

Irish PM Leo Varadkar had said he was willing to consider new proposals and suggested the UK might put something forward later.

According to BBC, the ambassadors of the 27 EU member states are understood to be “waiting for something from London”.

Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party has so far refused to agree to proposals aimed at avoiding border checks after Brexit.